Czequershuus

I know I post a lot here, but I have been on a Sherry kick the last few months. Earlier this week I opened a bottle of Hartley & Gibson Oloroso Sherry. Knowing it would spoil shortly, even if vacu-vinned, I quickly set to work. I posted about the 1818 cocktail in the Rum Substitutions thread, so I will confine myself to other experiments here. The sherry by itself is very nice, I would definitely drink it just chilled. It is what you would expect from a sherry, very nutty, raisin-y. Nice level of oxidation and richness. I tried it first in a sherry cobbler I go with the recipe, which I have adapted over the years to my own taste Sherry Cobbler 4 Oz Sherry 0.5 Oz Rich Simple Syrup 2 Orange Wedges(I used blood orange, yay winter citrus!) 2 ds Bitters(I statr with Angostura and change as it appropriate t the sherry) Shake with ice and strain into a goblet filled with pearl, o lets face it, crushed ice. The Oloroso worked great here. This is one of my favorite lighter drinks. I made a large format for a party several years ago and it was a huge hit. It is even better with a more complex sherry like this. Then it was time for something lovely and stirred. The Old Man, The Monk, and the Sea(Link) 1.5 Oz Old Fitzgerald Bourbon(OGD 114) 0.75 Oz Benedictine 0.75 Oz Oloroso Sherry 2 ds Angostura Bitters Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Twist and orange peel over and discard. Love this one. I am a sucker for Benedictine, and it just works so well here. A great winter mood mellower. Next up I wanted to see how the sherry played with sharper citrus. Pancho Villa(Link) 2 Oz Blanco Tequila(Lunazul) 0.5 OZ Oloroso Sherry 0.5 Oz Maraschino(Luxardo) 0.5 Oz Lime Juice Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. A little harsh, maybe, and a little Maraschino forward. The relatively subtle sherry struggles to tame the equal amount of Maraschino in terms of flavor. Not a bad drink, by any means, but probably not the best use of sherry. More to come.

I was unsure of Rittenhouse the first time I tried it neat, but I have always found that it is dynamite in cocktail.

I can report that Appleton+Goslings combo worked a treat. The 1818 was a superb cocktail. Thanks to all for the advice.

That might be a good call. Or maybe split the difference. Sweetness from the Appleton, body from the Goslings.

Hmm, sweet and vanilla-caramel, maybe my Appleton would be the best choice. I am opening a bottle of Oloroso sherry tonight an thought I might try the 1818 Cocktail. I was wondering if it might be a little funky, but based on that description I guess not. You would think something called Old Monk would have a strong flavor profile.

While I love to recreate drinks from recipes as accurately as possible in terms of brands and styles, I often find the rum category the most challenging, because of the wide variance in the different styles, and my rathe limited budget(darn student loans). Though I have a specific question I thought I would name the topic more broadly so other seeking advice on which rums may work as substitutes(or myself in the future) Could benefit as well. My specific question at this point is what would be my best bet as a sub for Old Monk Rum. I have never tasted it. Is it funky? Mellow? I currently have Smith & Cross, Appleton V/X, Goslings Black Seal, Burgal Gold, Wray & Nephew Overproof, Cruzan White, and Lemonhart 151 to play with for rum(and Batavia Arrack, to stretch the category). Which of these would be closest to Old Monk? Or which blend of rums?

I was toying with the idea of a Creme de Violette drink with no citrus. I knew it would need to be just a teaspoon or so of violette with no sourness, and I felt bitter drink might be the way to go. Si I went with the obvious Viol Negroni 1 Oz Gin (Beefeater) 1 Oz Sweet Vermouth (Cinzano) 1 Oz Campari 1 tsp Creme de Violette Certainly not vile, this worked very nicely. It is exactly what you would expect, a slightly violette flavored Negroni.

Tried this one tonight. I had only about an ounce left of some Don Julio Anejo, so I augmented with Piedra Azul Reposado. I am not sure if I need a more aggressive tequila, but the flavors did not mesh for me. Each of the major ingredients seemed to stick out, but I could not taste them together. So how to help flavors mesh? Bitters! A few dashes of Ango did improve things, and did some time and extra dilution from the ice. Not sure I would do this again, but I really liked the experiment. That is what is great about cocktails - nine times out of ten, even if it doesn't work, it is is interestin. Thanks for the tip Rafa!

Finally got around to trying a well regarded modern Rye cocktail, the Rattlesnake. I first became aware of this reading through Paul Clarke's venerable Cocktail Chronicles blog. The recipe hails from the Beretta in San Francisco. The Rattlesnake 2 Oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse) 1 Oz Lemon Juice 0.5 Oz Maple Syrup 2 ds Peychauds Bitters 1 Egg White Dry shake then shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Mmm, yes, that is lovely. I was surprised how much the Peychauds contributed to this, both in color and flavor. The maple does not dominate, but it is definitely present and welcome.I must admit I had this as a breakfast drink with bacon and toast, and this was a great choice. I think that is called a balances breakfast.

It looks like a close relative of the Amertinez that you may like too - 1 1/4 gin, 2/3 amaro (I tried the Cynar version), 2/3 oz sweet vermouth, 1/4 maraschino liqueur, and 2 dashes orange bitters. Interestingly this is also on my to try list, and I spotted it on the night I had the Grand Street. I went the Grand Street direction because something a little more spirit heavy suited my mood, but this is definitely on my list, with a note to try with multiple Amari

If this works could it please be called Compellingly Disastrous? That is a dynamite name for a cocktail.

I was in the mood for a nice, bracing, bitter nightcap last night, and my eye landed upon the Grand Street, which appears to hail from from the famous Death & Co. The Grand Street 2 Oz Gin (Beefeater) 0.5 Oz Punt e Mes 0.25 Oz Cynar 0.25 Oz Maraschino Stir, strain, up, grapefruit twist. Hit the spot perfectly. Maybe a touch on the sweet side, but there is enough going on that this is not a problem. A nice bitter gin drink that unusually does not call up the image of a negroni. Very satisfying.

About mid February those of us fortunate to be residents of the frozen north start collectively thinking "Well, winter, I think we have had about enough of this" only to remember that we will likely still see snow on the ground for another two months. So something Caribbean was in order Barbadian Gin Punch Swizzle (The Wondrich modified version on Kindred Cocktails) 2 Oz Genever 2 Oz Coconut Water 0.5 Oz Demerara Syrup 0.5 Oz Lime Juice 2 ds Angostura Bitters Build over crushed ice and swizzle. Garnish with a lime wheel and add a straw. The perfect relief from the winter blues. I love the way the richer tones of the coconut water and genever interact. And the Angostura lends just enough spice to make a truly satisfying beverage.

A strange variation tonight that worked out quite well. I started with the recipe for a cocktail called the Irish Elegance form Patrick Gavin Duffy's Bartenders Guide(don't you love thrift store finds?). The original recipe went as so. 4/5 Jigger Jamaican Rum 1/4 Brandy 1 teaspoon Creme de Violette 1/3 Jigger Pineapple Juice 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar Juice of 1 Lime Mixed in a blender and serve. To which I modified, according to taste and exigency 2 Oz Goslings Dark Rum 0.5 Oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy 1 tsp Rothamn and Winter Creme de Violette 0.5 Oz Pineapple Juice 0.5 Oz Simple Syrup 1 Oz Lime Juice Shake wiht ice and strain into a rock glass filled with crushed ice. This was a surprise. Truly and excellent, balanced(maybe a touch too sweet) cocktail. A Tiki with violette. Who knew? Not the most complex thing ever, but very easy drinking with enough to keep me interested.

Sipping a Negroni right now, made with my new bottle of Bad Medicine Gin. As I noted in the liquor store thread, this localish gin is a beast of powerful grassy, bready, peppery flavors. I was hoping some Campari would tame it in a tonic water did not. Success! It does creat a very interesting Negroni. where the unusual qualities of the gin shine through. As it is a Minnesota gin I have dubbed this not quite variation the Negro-uh-ni, my attempt at rendering the name of the drink in a over the top Minnesota accent. Negro-uh-ni 1 Oz Bad Medicine Gin 1 Oz Campari 1 Oz Sweet Vermouth (Cinzano) Stir with ice and and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with an orange twist.

A gift from my thoughtful fiancée. A local(ish) product from Panther Distillery. It has very interesting, not a traditional gin profile. Nor does it fit into the model o a citrus forward, light gin. In fact this has notes that are almost reminiscent of Genever. There is a roughness to the spirit, a little funk. In flavor terms it also reminds me of Aquavit, as there is a strong bready flavor. Really a very unusual spirit. I have only tried it neat and in a G&T so far, and unfortunately it failed pretty miserably in the G&T. The tonic water brought out an unpleasant grassy flavor, not the good kind o grassiness, more like a mouthful of fresh grass clippings. I think I need to treat the spirit more like a Genever, or pair it with more assertive ingredients. Still, should be a fun experiment.

How better to celebrate the acquisition of some new bottles, and to ward off the return of the -20 temps than some tiki. First up was this - Jet Pilot (recipe from Kaiser Penguin) 1 Oz Dark Rum (Goslings) 0.75 Oz PR Gold Rum (Appleton V/X) 0.75 Oz Lemon Hat 151 0.5 Oz Falernum 0.5 Oz Cinnamon Syrup 0.5 Oz Lime Juice 0.5 Oz Grapefruit Juice 6 drops Herbsaint(3 spritzes Kubler Absinthe) 1 ds Peychauds Bitters Blend with ice, pour into a goblet(shake with ice, strain into a goblet over crushed ice) This was excellent. It is nice to have the ingredients to knock up some true tiki. I think the thing that makes this sing is the cinnamon syrup. I will ahve to grab some more Ceylon cinnamon soon, as my syrup is quickly running out. Maybe not strictly tiki, but certainly in the spirit of, I also had this - Swamp Water Fix (Cocktail Virgin Slut) 1.5 OZ Green Chartreuse 1 Oz Batavia Arrack 0.5 OZ Pineapple Juice 0.5 Oz Pineapple Syrup 0.75 Oz Lime Juice 2 drops Celery Bitters (omitted, Boker's added for complexity) Build over crushed ice I will never tire of Pineapple and Chartreuse as a combo. The Chartreuse Swizzle is a favorite of mine, and this is very much in the same vein. I would love to see how the Celery Bitters change it, when I do get around to purchasing them

Rafa - that looks very interesting. How does Bitter Truth's Vioette compare to R&H? If it is drier may I want to reduce this by a bit. The flavor combo does seem interesting. Dan - That does look interesting. Campari and Violette is an intriguing combination before I even taste it. Definitely going on my list. Did get around to trying the Aviation today. I went with this recipe 1.5 Oz Gin 0.75 Oz Lemon Juice 0.5 Oz Maraschino 0.25 Oz Creme de Violette Shake wih ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Well, that must be why this is a classic. Excellent. The Maraschino does go well with the violette. It is just a very well constructed cocktail. That is what I love about trying a classic. I will be interested to experiment with other ratios as well.

How best to test out my new bottle of Rothman & Winter Creme de Violette? My first thought was the Aviation, but on looking at the double digit number of different ratios for this classic, I figured I should try something that would let me know how the liqueur would balance in a cocktail first, before picking an aviation ratio that worked for me. So I went with - The Blue Moon 2 Oz Gin 0.5 Oz Creme de Violette 0.5 Oz Lemon Juice 0.5 Egg White (Omitted) Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist(omitted) I used the recipe from Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktail by Ted Haigh, but omitted his additions in favor of the original formulation. I must say, this is very pleasant. The Creme de Violette is not overly syrupy in the drink. I really like the Violette flavor, maybe a positive association with violet candies in my childhood. This balances well for me, so I will probably look for an aviation recipe that does more than a dash of the violette, but still keeps it and the maraschino in check. Sounds like a nice project for a saturday.

Drinkupny order arrived yesterday! The Falernum is a restock but the rest is all new to me. Should e fun playing with these new toys!

Found this one searching this forum for Ramazzotti. It was cited y the OP as coming from a poster on straightboubron.com. Would love to know if anyone has more info on it. The Front Street 2 Oz Rittenhouse Rye 0.5 Oz Vya Sweet Vermouth(Cinzano) 0.5 Oz Ramazzotti 0.25 Oz Maraschino Stir, strain, up. A really lovely drink. The basic Manhattan structure is so flexible, and so rarely a failure. Maybe a tich sweet, but I can handle that with rich, bitter concoctions

That sounds like a great idea to me - I think I have found something similar with cassis and lemon vs lime. Those sound like great modifications. Oh darn, another excuse to but more sherry...

So after those last two cocktails there was still a tiny bit left in the bottle, so I officially finished it off with this Sultan (by Rafa) 2 Oz Brandy (Ansac VSOP) 0.75 Oz Lemon Juice 0.5 Oz PX Sherry (Sandeman Armada Rich Cream Oloroso) 0.25 Oz Cassis (Mathilde) 2 ds Aromatic and/or Fig Bitters (no fig, so I did a dash of Angostura and dash of Bittercue Bolivar Bitters) Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass or into a rocks glass over ice (I went up) While I love the concept of sherry and cassis together, this did not work for me. Quite possibly it did not because I did not use the PX called for, or because my bottle was passed its prime. I may have to revisit this i I ever happen upon some actual PX.

A lovely tipple from a few nights ago - Life Sentence (by Brian Vollmer of Roast, Detroit, via Kindred Cocktails) 2 Oz Rye (Rittenhouse) 0.5 Oz Elderflower Liqueur (St. Germain) 0.5 Oz Benedictine 0.5 Oz Lemon Juice 4 ds Rhubarb Bitters (Fee's) 1 ds Angostura Bitters Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist. Maybe the best cocktail I had last week. The Rhubarb bitters really stick out in this at four dashes, and I think this is the best use for them I have found yet. Really one of those great cocktails that is far more than the sum of its parts.

Recently tried the Aquavit Fizz, found on CocktailDB Aquavit Fizz 1.5 Oz Aquavit (Aalborg) 1 Oz Lemon Juice 0.25 Oz Cherry Heering 0.5 tsp Simple Syrup 0.5 Egg White Soda to fill Shake, strain over ice in a collins glass, top with soda. Not quite what I envisioned. Maybe it would work better with Linie or another aquavit, but this just did not sync up. All the flavor stood out, never meshing. I love my aquavit, but this did not work. I wonder if the Heering was included for nationalistic purposes only, as it certainly does northing to bring this together. I like the idea of an Aquavit Fizz, and I would like to tinker with this later.